1. The Reason I Researched This Area
Most Japanese think that there is only one language in Japan, which is the Japanese language. If this thought is true, integration in Japan must has been completed. However, UNESCO recognises about 2,500 endangered language, and it recognises 8 endangered languages in Japan. Ryukyuan languages and Ainu are listed, and Ainu is regarded as particularly endangered. Languages which had few speakers relatively are in danger because of assimilation to make nation-state. It made [enforced] a "common language" to communicate with fellow countrymen (同国人) easily. And they were educated common language in their everyday lives, like the mass media and classes in a school. At last, they mastered it. Thus their descendants couldn't use their ethnic language because everyone taught them only common language. When I knew such a grave situation, I thought I need to study more about these endangered languages in Japan.
2. What is Ryukyuan Language?
Chart 1 The area that Ryukyu language was used
Ryukyu language is used in Okinawa and the surrounding islands (from Amami-Oshima to Yonaguni island). Ryukyu language isn't the same as the current Okinawan dialect variety of Japanese which is called ウチナーヤマトグチ and has been influenced by the mass media, like TV and radio. Few speakers of ウチナーヤマトグチ are able to understand Ryukyu language (琉球新報 『ウチナーヤマトゥグチの研究』言葉遣いを味わい直す 2017年7月9日). Now, not more than 50 percent of Okinawa people aren't able to speak well Ryukyuan language (県民意識調査に見る「しまくとぅば」琉球新報文化部・上原康司).
A. The Features of the Ryukyuan Language
The features of Ryukyu language are two. First, it has been influenced by China and Southeast Asia because there was a lot of trade between those areas and the Ryukyu area. Second, it preserves the archaic or indigenous Japanese language (大和言葉) more than most other of areas in Japan. In Japan, especially three islands of Honsyu, Shikoku and Kyusyu, the words made by pronunciation of Chinese character came to Japan, and the original language was mixed with these imported words. In Ryukyu, the archaic language didn’t mingle with imported Kango which is sorrounded by red so much. In fact, Ryukyu language and Japanese were the same originally, before The Nara period (1450～1700 years ago) when they branched off. Ultimately their distance of language are equal to French and Spanish (but French and Spanish are similar grammar).
B. The Diversity of the Ryukyuan Language
Ryukyu language can be divided into two genealogies: The Amami-Okinawa group of dialects varieties（奄美沖縄方言群、北琉球方言）and The Sakishima group of dialects（先島方言、南琉球方言）. As the table on the right shows, the former group contains three sub-groups: Amami and Tokunoshima dialects (奄美徳之島方言群), Okinoerabu, Yoron and the northern Okinawa dialects (沖永良部与論沖縄北部方言群), and Okinawa dialects (沖縄方言群). The latter can also be divided into three: Miyako dialects (宮古方言群), Yaeyama dialects (八重山方言群) and Yonaguni dialect (与那国方言). In total, as you can from the table, there are about 40 different varieties.
This diversity of the Ryukyu language can be seen in the different words that are used in different varieties of the language for example to say 'father', as shown in the chart here.
Incidentally, Naze is a center of commerce in Amami-Oshima and located in northern part of island. Nakizin (今帰仁) is a town located in Okinawa island. It is famous for Nakizin castle built in Ryukyuan style. Syuri was the capital of Ryukyu kingdom. Hirara (平良) is a center of commerce of Miyako-island. (I'm sorry I mistook reading of Hirara, it's not Taira.) Ishigaki is well-known for a good place to dive and snorkel.Yonaguni is the most western island in Japan.
3. What is Ainu language?
The origin of Ainu language isn’t known well, but it is evident that it has a pronunciation like the Korean language and grammars like languages which were used by people in East Siberia and Native American. The Ainu language has three genealogies, Hokkaido Ainu, Chishima Ainu and Karahuto Ainu language, and the most remarkable feature is that Ainu was an oral language. In 17th century, Ainu language started to have a character which is not unique character, and in the Taisho period, Ainu started to be written using characters from the Roman alphabet, Hiragana and Katakana. The first man who wrote Ainu language was Italian missionary, so that the Roman alphabet was used. Now, Katakana is mainly used when Ainu language is expressed in a character because Katakana is the most convenient to express truly.
Most of Hokkaido’s place names stem from Ainu words, for example Sapporo (札幌) and Hurano (富良野). Also, Northern Tohoku region (Aomori, Iwate and Akita prefectures) has some Ainu-style place names such as Appi (安比) in Iwate and Nishimonai (西馬音内) in Akita. But there are only about 100 speakers now. Moreover there are no speakers who always use Ainu language. They are able to speak Ainu language as second language, but they are not native speaker. In short, the Ainu language doesn't have native speakers that people who speak Ainu mainly anymore.
4. How Were These Languages Discriminated Against?: The case of Ryukyu, Okinawa
Dialect cards (方言札) are well-known tool of discrimination, but it were made by Okinawa people. In 1872, Ryukyu kingdom became Okinawa prefecture, and Okinawa people, especially teachers created those cards to unify with the mainland in 20th century. They were labels which designated the student who had spoken Ryukyuan language, and he or she had to be hanged one card on his or her necks. At first, dialect cards weren’t used thoroughly. Teachers often spoke dialect unconsciously. Plus, one student made someone speak dialect to hand him it, including punching with tricks.
When people lived in Okinawa came to have difficulty in making a living because of depression after WWI, the circumstance changed rapidly. They migrated to Tokyo, Osaka and foreign countries, like Hawaii to get out of poverty, but differences of language and life-style have come out. “Okinawa people were refused to enter some restaurants and shops by their storekeepers in Tokyo and Osaka” (Newsweek日本版, 2016). There were also signboards in front of some factories and classified ads that said 'Ryukyu people weren't employable'. In foreign countries, they were discriminated by Japanese and local people.They didn’t want to undergo such experience any more. When people who were discriminated went back to Okinawa, they told their experiences to Okinawa people. They came to think that 'we were discriminated because of language' and 'if we don't speak dialect, they won't discriminate against us'. They started to teach standard Japanese thoroughly because Okinawa people thought we shouldn’t speak dialect. Also, they made opportunities for teachers to learn standard Japanese and students study it out of school.
In the latter half of the 1930s-1945, before the War in the Pacific, the movement to eradicate dialects began. It was supported by 国民精神総動員運動(Movement for General Mobilization of National Spirit ) which was established to head for the war and forced citizens to keep from luxury to focus on the War and beat the enemies. In Okinawa, people learned and spoke standard Japanese, and they finally fought the battle of Okinawa as a part of it under these conditions. If one spoke a Ryukyu dialect, one couldn’t use transportation, including trains, buses and ships or boats, buy something, and have rations (配給) easily.
5. Why Do We Have to Preserve Endangered Languages?
If one language survive and every other language except it disappears, we will feel convenience in communication, but non-native speakers of that language may feel some inconvenience as well in the expression of identity and culture. We will have to meet with some difficulty that we cannot express a word which we want to say in one language well. For example, いただきます, which is a word Japanese always say before they having a meal, is difficult to say in other languages. In short the existence of idea which arouses action is important. There is a relation between an idea and an action, including saying. An idea leads to saying, and a language transmits our own idea to mouth. Saying is needed to transmit a language. The cultural climates and the environments made many languages.
According to Minoru Hamaguchi who is professor at Meiji University, dying language means that a culture and it's ideas are lost (言語の消滅,世界の喪失 (1) －「消滅の危機に瀕した言語」についての覚書－, 2001). If いただきます that the idea doesn’t exist, no one will say this word and put their hands together because there is not connection between the idea and the saying.
6. What Attempts at Revitalization Are being Tried?
At first, it is necessary to know the status quo of speakers. According to Okinawa prefecture ‘The opinion poll about Ryukyuan language’, 80 percent of people answered ‘I like Ryukyuan language’, but only 30 percent of people answered ‘I use Ryukyuan language’. Moreover only 5 percent of people who are from 10 years old to 40 years answered ‘I use Ryukyuan language’. Efforts to revitalize the Ryukyuan language has been increasing every year in response to this situation.
There are many efforts in Okinawa now. First, education of Ryukyu language started. At elementary schools and junior high schools, students are educated in Ryukyu language at greeting, each classes, school events and activities in districts. In short, students can study Ryukyuan language from these events at hand. At public high schools, they are taught it in Japanese classes.
Second, promotion by the mass media can be mentioned. QAB琉球朝日放送, OTV沖縄テレビand RBC琉球放送/ Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, Okinawa Television Corporation and Ryukyu Broadcasting Corporation began to broadcast commercial messages and short time programs for promotion of Ryukyu languages.
Third, the ecotourism began, especially in Ishigaki island. Okinawa prefecture defined the meaning of ecotourism. It has three elements: appropriate preservation and lasting use of nature, culture and history(自然・文化・歴史の適切な保全と持続的な活用) , picking up of a district (地域の活性化) and the activity that tourists who received an appropriate guidance come in to contact with nature, culture and history of the area (訪問者が適切な案内を受けて地域の自然・歴史・文化とふれあう活動). As a part of ecotourism, there are opportunities to learn about Ryukyu language. The ecotourism at Shiraho area in Ishigaki island is a good example. You can not only go scuba diving but learn a language.
Fourth, some Okinawa people have promoted traditional culture, for example Kumiodori (組踊) which is the traditional dance. 国立劇場おきなわ, where Kumiodori is performed, was built to preserve traditional culture of Okinawa. The actors speak only Ryukyu language during performance. Therefore it can be teaching material not only for tourists but also local people.
Last, the promation center of Ryukyuan language was built by the Division of cultural promotion of Okinawa prefecture in 2017. This institution is expected to be the core of Ryukyuan language's promotion (HUFFPOST 日本は「多言語国家」？ 沖縄で固有言語の普及センター開設 2017.9.14).
In Hokkaido, there are some efforts of revitalization. Education of Ainu language as a second language is at the top of the list. In Asahikawa (旭川), Chitose (千歳), Obihiro (帯広), Noboribetsu (登別) and Shiranuka (白糠), there are Ainu language classes outside of school. Also, there is an Ainu language course on the radio. In an elementary school located in Nibutani (二風谷) where the majority of residents are Ainu, there are Ainu language classes.
Ainu language continues to fond expression in songs and prayers. Events, including singing and praying in the Ainu language, have been held in Hokkaido and metropolitan areas, for example Nakano (中野) in Tokyo and Shin-Yokohama (新横浜). Plus, Ainu traditional dance (アイヌ古式舞踊) serves to preserve this language because all actors speak and sing Ainu language.
I conclude there is great meaning people think it needs to revitalize endangered languages and practice really. There is no action without thinking.
7. Conclusion
There are many activities of revitalization among many parts of the country. They are ways to protect languages and ideas from disappearing. Japanese tend to think there is only one language in Japan, but it is not true. Therefore I researched and wrote about 'forgotten languages' to learn diversity in Japan.
8. References
井谷泰彦 ボーダーインク 2006年 『沖縄の方言－さまよえる沖縄の言葉をめぐる論考－』/
大野晋、柴田武 岩波書店 1977年 『岩波講座 日本語11方言』/
沖縄県 エコツーリズムと保全利用協定/ Ecotourism and agreement about use of upkeep
沖縄県 2013年 「しまくとぅば県民意識調査」/ Okinawa people's poll on Ryukyuan language (しまくとぅば)
日本言語学会 北海道大学 佐藤知己 アイヌ語の現状と復興/ The status quo and revitalization of Ainu language
浜口稔 明治大学教養論集 2001年 言語の消滅、世界の喪失(1) －「消滅の危機に瀕した言語」についての覚書－/Disappearance of language and loss of the world -The note about 'endangered languages'-
BBC 6 June 2014 Language : Why We Must Save Dying Tongues
Newsｗeek日本版 2016年11月4日 日本人の無自覚な沖縄差別/ Unconscious discrimination against Okinawa of the Japanese
UNESCO 2009 "Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger"